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Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Forkner Moves Into a Tie For The Points Lead

Daytona Beach, Fla. (March 10, 2018) – Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Austin Forkner landed back on the podium for the third straight week and the result of his hard work pushed him into a tie for the points lead. Forkner will be running the red plate next weekend in St. Louis after a strong third-place showing. Martin Davalos tied his season-best finish of fifth and climbed up to eighth in the points standings.

On the heels of back-to-back wins, Forkner started the day as the top qualifier. He would finish third in his heat race, giving him a good gate pick to tackle the tough 180 degree first turn. The Kawasaki of Forkner was at the front when the riders cleared the turn and he tried to settle in for a demanding race. Forkner was running a solid race but unable to close the small gap to the leader, settling for second.

“I tried to run with those guys at the start and push really hard but I wasn’t able to bridge the gap,” said Forkner. “I got a little tight and had to settle back in to make sure I was hitting my lines because the track was pretty tough and changing a lot. My goal has been to be consistent and I’ve been able to do that the past few races, putting me in a good position with the points.”

Davalos had a lot of great moments last weekend in Atlanta and tried to draw upon those moments as he took to the track in Daytona. He started the night off with a good showing in the heat race, finishing second. That helped him get a good start in the main event, starting the race off in seventh. Davalos worked hard to get up to the front-runners, making it as high as fourth place before eventually finishing fifth.

“It’s been a tough opening four rounds so it’s nice to be able to tie my best finish and overcome from an up and down weekend,” said Davalos. “I’m ready to put myself on the podium and representing Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki at the front of the pack.”